Cutting blade apparatus and methods

ABSTRACT

A cutting blade includes a blade body with one or more cutting elements positioned along its periphery. The elements preferably are keyed to the blade, to help provide secure mounting onto the blade, and include a poly-chrystalized diamond cutting surface.

The present invention is described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures, which illustrate some of the many embodiments in and by which the invention may be practiced. Generally in those Figures and references, similar and/or identical reference numerals refer to similar and/or identical elements throughout this description. However, such similar reference numerals are subject to the context of the description and other factors, including for example the understanding of persons of ordinary skill in the arts relevant to the inventions.

Those Figures and references, and the other terminology used in these descriptions, are intended to be interpreted in their broadest sense permissible by law. They are not intended to be interpreted in any unduly limited or restrictive manner, simply because they are used in conjunction with a description of one or more exemplary embodiments of the invention.

Persons of ordinary skill in the art also will understand that (a) any one or more desirable attributes of the inventions described may be attributable to a specific feature and/or combination of features, depending on the particular embodiment of the invention (and regardless whether such embodiment is specifically described herein), and (b) no single one of such attributes and/or features is necessarily required for, nor essential to, practicing the inventions.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 a and 1 b are top and isometric views, respectively, of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2 a, 2 b, 2 c, and 2 d are isometric, side, bottom, and perspective views, respectively, of a preferred embodiment of a replaceable cutting element.

FIG. 3 a is an enlarged detail view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, but with various elements removed.

FIGS. 3 b and 3 c are isometric views of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 a.

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are enlarged detail views of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 a and 5 b, respectively, taken along line 4-4.

FIGS. 5 a and 5 b are top views of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 a, taken along line 6-6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present inventions preferably include and/or constitute a saw blade capable of cutting roadways or similar materials in an efficient manner, and/or components thereof The blade preferably is reusable and may be refurbished for further use at such time, if any, as the relevant cutting surfaces need maintenance or repair.

Among other things, the invention preferably utilizes cutting elements that are keyed to fit and to be securely held at a desired location on the periphery of the blade. The cutting elements may be fabricated from a wide range of materials, and can be fabricated as a monolithic element, can be coated with selected materials to modify the performance of the element and blade, and/or can be fabricated as a multi-layered or other composite structure.

Various embodiments of the present invention preferably use one or more poly-chrystalized diamond (PCD) cutting elements.

The particular materials for the blade, cutting elements, and other components of the invention can be selected from a wide range of suitable materials, and can be fabricated in any suitable manner. The selection preferably is influenced by, for example, the particular use to which the blade assembly is expected to be put (e.g., for roadway cutting such as may be useful in road or utility repairs or similar roadwork, cutting concrete, construction sites for wood or metal or other material, etc.).

The particular materials, dimensions, and fabrication methods for practicing the invention can be selected from a wide range of possibilities, depending on a number of factors. By way of example, the absolute and relative sizes of the various components can vary widely, depending on the application to which the invention is directed.

Preferably, the invention is practiced in a modular manner, so that the various components (e.g., the blades; the motors and related mounts—for rotating, reciprocating, or otherwise powering the blade; the cutting elements; and any other apparatus used in practicing the invention) are effectively interchangeable with other such components. However, for embodiments and applications in which the motor/saw mounting fixture is a specific configuration, preferably the corresponding mounting structure associated with the blade is configured to securely mate with that motor/saw mounting fixture.

These components may even be used in retrofitting or otherwise performing maintenance on existing devices. This enables easy customization, maintenance, and repair of an overall blade assembly. Depending on the application, certain components may be shaped differently than shown in the attached drawings, but their functionality preferably is at least substantially unaffected by such changes.

Although the blade member(s) and other parts of the assembly preferably are modular, they can be fabricated in other combinations and sub-combinations, and can be relatively permanently assembled or otherwise utilized, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

As indicated above, the invention has utility for (among other things) cutting roadways. Traditional diamond-grit blades are used for such purposes, and that material can be used in certain embodiments of the present invention. However, one preferred embodiment of the invention uses one or more poly-chrystalized diamond (PCD) elements instead of such diamond-grit blades. PCDs useful in the invention preferably are a single piece of diamond material, preferably shaped to scrape (rather than grind) the material being cut, and to scoop out the cut pieces (rather than grinding those asphalt/concrete/other pieces into a finer dust).

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, preferably the leading edge 52 (the left side of piece 50, for the PCD at the uppermost edge of the blade body 10 in the assembly shown in FIG. 1) in of the keyed piece 50 is the actual “PCD” material, and the keyed body 54 onto which that PCD is mounted preferably is made of a less expensive material such as tungsten carbide or the like. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the piece 50 may be provided in a wide variety of other shapes, and may be formed in a wide variety of other manners, including without limitation having the entire piece 50 formed from PCD. Among other things, the PCD cutting portion can be shaped as a circle or oval (when viewed from the position of the asphalt/concrete that is about to be cut), which is a standard shape in which PCD can be purchased. Other shapes for the PCD cutting portion can be cut from those “standard” circles, or PCD may be otherwise custom-formed if needed or desired. For certain applications, standard PCD assemblies can be used, in which the thickness of the actual leading cutting PCD layer is selected and is provided already mounted on the tungsten carbide or other backing material. For applications such as those shown in FIGS. 1-3, such “standard” PCD elements can then be cut to interfit in the keyed relationship with the body blade 10, as shown in the drawings.

Also, as shown in detail in FIG. 4 b, the radially outermost edge of the PCD piece 50 protrudes slightly further than does the conventional diamond pieces in front of the PCD. Among other things, those “leading” conventional diamond pieces act as a depth control, to ensure that the PCD does not dig too deeply with each cutting pass along the asphalt/concrete or other material being cut. In the L-shaped assembly of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the conventional piece that is generally parallel to the circumference or periphery of the blade body acts as the “depth control,” while the conventional piece that is generally perpendicular to the circumference (or is generally aligned with a radius line from the center of the blade body) acts to protect the blade body from possible wear or other damage.

Those conventional diamond grit elements preferably are slightly wider (in the dimension in/out of the paper when viewing FIG. 1) than the blade body 10. Preferably the PCD also extends radially outward further than any portion of the body blade 10, so that no portion of the blade body is exposed to actual contact with the material being cut.

The blade of the invention preferably can be used to cut asphalt and/or underlayment DRY, without circulating water or oil or other liquid at the cutting location. Among other things, the invention can be used for micro-trenching to install cellular communication services. Among many examples, a micro-trench can be cut that is approximately ½ inch wide and 9-12 inches deep. By dry-cutting, the system eliminates the need to allow the cut to “dry out” prior to installing the wires or other materials and fill and seal the trench. The invention also preferably requires no slurry that has to be controlled with respect to environmental concerns or otherwise. In certain applications, the system allows a much shorter interruption of traffic on streets and sidewalks, etc. as compared to wet-cutting systems.

For certain applications, it can be useful to include a vacuum system of some type, to be used in connection with the blade. Among other things, such a vacuum can remove and capture the cut materials and generally keep the blade cooler. With or without such a vacuum, the invention preferably allows a relatively continuous cut for a relatively greater distance than can be achieved with prior art blades. Typically, those prior art blades become so hot that the user has to stop periodically to allow the blade to cool.

The width and other dimensions of the blade body can vary according to the application. Preferably, and as illustrated in FIG. 3, the PCD 50 is a zig-zag shape, although persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that it can be provided in a wide variety of shapes. Also, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the PCD preferably has in front of it (“leading” the PCD during the cutting process) one or more conventional diamond cutting elements, such as may be fabricated from diamond grit impregnated in a metal bond or other suitable materials and processes.

The blade body on which the PCD is mounted preferably is fabricated from ______¹ or some other material that has the property of staying relatively cooler than conventional circular blade bodies. The size and shape and other dimensions of the blade body can vary according to the intended application of the invention. Among the many alternative embodiments of the invention (not shown), the invention may even be configured in a “chain-saw” type of relationship, or a reciprocating saw blade with a single cutting edge. ¹ What materials do you want to list here?

Embodiments of the invention preferably include one or more shapes at the cutting edge of the blade, configured to operatively hold and position the diamond cutting elements in a desired configuration. For example, and as shown in FIG. 2, gullets 22 and 24 preferably are cut into the periphery of the circular blade body 10. As shown, the gullets alternate between a relatively deeper gullet 22 and a shallower cut-out “keyway” 24. Among other things, the gullets preferably are configured to allow exposure of more of the blade body to cooling air or other fluid, and to act as scoops to remove the cut materials from the cut itself

The conventional diamond grit segments 32 and 34 preferably are positioned in a generally L-shaped relationship to each other, and preferably are affixed to the blade body via silver soldering or some other suitable process. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the segments 32 and 34 are positioned on a generally right-angled edge of the blade body periphery, that forms the “trailing” edge of one of the gullets 22.

Each of the preferred plurality of PCDs 50 are mounted “behind” those conventional diamond grit segments 32 and 34, in a relationship with the other gullet 24. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, second gullet 24 acts as a keyway into which the PCD 50 is placed, and is then affixed into that desired location via silver-soldering or other suitable process. The upper portion or arm 26 of the second gullet 24 acts to reinforce the PCD 50 and help ensure that it stays in the desired location and position during use, rather than being broken away from the blade body prematurely.

To the knowledge of the inventors, PCDs are used in cup wheels (for grinding, not cutting), but prior to the invention have not been used for cutting concrete or asphalt. Also, “keying” the diamond element (whether PCD or conventional grit) into a desired location has not been used prior to the invention, for any application such as cutting concrete or asphalt.

Persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that, among the many alternative embodiments of the invention, different combinations of conventional diamond grit segments and PCDs may be utilized, in different relationship to each other, in a variety of shapes, and in a variety of relative sizes and positions. One of those many examples would include a blade assembly in which ONLY PCDs are used.

Further, persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the various features of the blade illustrated in the drawings are not intended to be limiting. By way of examples, all of the following features can be modified across a wide range to provide an embodiment of the invention that may be useful for one or more applications: the blade thickness and diameter, the number of teeth and shape of the teeth at the blade's perimeter, the method and apparatus (such as hole pattern) used to attach the blade to a saw motor, the presence or absence of the PCD material and its shape/thickness/etc., the presence or absence of the keyed relationship between any given cutting element and the saw blade, the precise shape and orientation of any such “keyed” structures, and the repeating nature of the tooth pattern.

For the purpose of summarizing the invention, certain objects and advantages have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

The apparatus and methods of the invention have been described with some particularity, but the specific designs, constructions, and steps disclosed are not to be taken as delimiting of the invention. A wide range of modifications and alternative structures and steps for practicing the invention will make themselves apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, all of which will not depart from the essence of the invention, and all such changes and modifications are intended to be encompassed within the appended claims. 

1. A cutting blade assembly including: a blade having a plurality of keyed mounting areas at its periphery, and a plurality of cutting elements correspondingly keyed and thereby mounted to the blade.
 2. The blade of claim 1, further including at least one of the cutting elements including a poly-chrystalized diamond cutting surface.
 3. A method of fabricating a blade as described in claim 1, including the steps of: providing said blade; providing said plurality of cutting elements; and operatively assembling at least one of said cutting elements with at least one of said correspondingly keyed mounting areas on said blade.
 4. The method of claim 3, in which said step of operatively assembling includes sintering said cutting element into its desired position relative to said mounting area.
 5. Roadway cutting apparatus, including: a road having an upper surface, and a saw blade configured to cut into the road surface, said saw blade having at least one contact surface positioned to confront the road surface during a cutting operation, the contact surface incorporating poly-carbonate diamond material
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, further including a motor to power the saw blade in a cutting operation.
 7. The apparatus of claim 5, in which the poly-carbonate diamond material is formed as a layer on one surface of a replaceable element, and the replaceable element is keyed to operatively interfit with a corresponding structure on the saw blade. 